Homicidal Fantansies – “The majority of subjects in both studies reported at least one fantasy. Males tended to recall more homicidal fantasies than did females (in Study 1, 73% vs 66%; in Study 2, 79% vs 58% of males and females, respectively). Males also reported longer and more detailed fantasies, and were more likely to imagine strangers and coworkers as victims. Females’ recent fantasies were more likely to involve family members than were males, but that appears to be due to the fact that males had more fantasies about members of other categories, and not due to a tendency for males to have fewer homicidal fantasies about family members than do females. There was some evidence of greater fantasies involving step-parents, especially when one considered the amount of time subjects had spent living with step-, as opposed to genetic, parents.”

yes, astrology is bunk. but, like i was saying a couple of weeks ago (prompted by hail’s musings), there might be a little something to it all, i.e. that das folk happened to notice that people born during different times of the year were, on average, kinda different in their personalities.

here’s the sort of thing i’m thinking of — some research from a couple of years ago:

“Season of birth (SOB) has been associated with many physiological and psychological traits including novelty seeking and sensation seeking. Similar traits have been associated with genetic polymorphisms in the dopamine system. SOB and dopamine receptor genetic polymorphisms may independently and interactively influence similar behaviors through their common effects on the dopaminergic system….

“Winter-born males were more sensation seeking than non-winter born males. In factorial models including both genotype and season of birth as variables, two previously unobserved effects were discovered: (1) a SOB×DRD4 interaction effect on venturesomeness and (2) a DRD2×DRD4 interaction effect on sensation seeking.

“Conclusion

“These results are consistent with past findings that SOB is related to sensation seeking. Additionally, these results provide tentative support for the hypothesis that SOB modifies the behavioral expression of dopaminergic genetic polymorphism. These findings suggest that SOB should be included in future studies of risky behaviors and behavioral genetic studies of the dopamine system.”

i’ve thought this, too, from time to time — that there might be a kernel truth or “folk wisdom” at the bottom of all the astrology hocus-pocus nonsense. clearly our fates are not written in the stars — and i highly, highly doubt that our personalities are affected by the positions of the planets when we are born (unless there’s some really weird, quantum physics, interconnectedness sh*t going on…).

no. what i think that people over the ages might have noticed is that there are some differences in the frequencies of personality types and|or psychological conditions depending on what time of the year people are born.

for instance: “Studies have indicated that children born during certain times of the year (winter and early spring) have a higher than normal incidence of schizophrenia.”

if das volk happened to notice over the centuries that more joan-of-arc type people were born in late winter, they may have sought an explanation. that they latched on to a wrong one just shows how most people don’t think logically and scientifically — but they may have noticed some genuine patterns out there!

the other interesting astrological system is the chinese one which varies over the course of 12 (or 48) years. i’ve wondered for a long time if this is somehow connected to the length of generations in humans (especially if women in a society start giving birth at around the age of 12) — each generation following the next behaving somewhat differently from its predecessor. ?? dunno. just wondering.